Painted faces? Weird shirts in the club? What gives?

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s World Cup fever again in Hong Kong. The city’s nightclubs offer no escape, in fact, many of them have chosen to cater to fans, instead of offering a respite. As many of the games air live at 2:30 am, top clubs such as Dragon-i, Volar, Roxie, and Tazmania Ballroom have all been partially transformed into sports bars.

Somehow they manage to juggle the dual forms of entertainment. Dragon-i, for example, was functioning normally inside on Tuesday night, although there was a huge screen outdoors showing the Brazil / North Korea game. Roxie, which is normally quiet on Tuesdays, was loaded with yellow and green jerseys and people in face paint.

[photopress:roxie_club_bar_hong_kong_HK.jpg,full,pp_image]

Even if you’re not a big fan, it’s fun to witness the national cheers, jeers and songs that come from normally apathetic people during World Cup matches. Each nation has their own football culture, and a trip to Hong Kong clubland during World Cup allows you to pick up on some of these traditions.

For example, what do people scream during a missed opportunity, or yell when an amazing play is made? Cultural anthropologists can find out here.

The crowd interaction will only intensify as the competition wears on. A brief note to visiting d.j.s – expect some temporary distractions during your sets, as game time falls exactly during prime clubbing hours.